Joshua Van defends UFC title against Alexandre Pantoja in US
Joshua Van, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight Champion, successfully defended his title against Alexandre Pantoja by decision at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday. Pantoja, 36, is the previous UFC Flyweight champion who lost his belt to Joshua Van in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 6.
“A lot of people will say that was an accident[al] win the first time… I just want to prove a point again,” Joshua Van, 25, told the crowd from the stage at Crypto.com Arena after his victory on Sept. 19. Joshua Van won the rematch against Pantoja in Los Angeles by unanimous decision after 25 minutes of intense fighting in the Octagon.
Joshua Van defended his UFC Flyweight belt with a technical knockout (TKO) against Japan’s Tatsuro Taira during UFC 328 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9. Nicknamed “The Fearless,” Joshua Van is the second-youngest champion and first Asian male UFC champion in the company’s history.
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Fortify Rights calls on Malaysia to halt refugee deportations
International human rights organization Fortify Rights called on Malaysia to halt its plans to forcibly repatriate around 1,500 Burma nationals on Sept. 29 out of an original government announcement to send back 5,000 refugees to Burma over the coming months.
“[The] Malaysia government should instead formally recognize their refugee status and guarantee refugees’ lawful stay and basic rights in the country,” Yap Lay Sheng, Fortify Rights’ Senior Human Rights Specialist, stated in a press release on Sept. 2.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim plans to invite regime leader Min Aung Hlaing to Kuala Lumpur to negotiate a refugee repatriation deal. “The government’s cavalier disregard for refugee lives is unacceptable and a violation of its international obligations,” added Yap Lay Sheng.
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An event to honour late filmmaker Pe Maung Same in Thailand
A memorial film screening was held to honor the late documentary filmmaker Pe Maung Same called “Stories of Our Memories” in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Saturday. The annual event, organized by the Pe Maung Same Film Fund (PMSFF) since 2024, featured two films supported by PMSFF and one film made by Pe Maung Same before he passed away two years ago.
“The two films supported by this year’s funding program are both about memories,” said Lay Thida, the PMSFF organizer. “Making films has become almost a luxury, especially when we ourselves have very limited sources of income,” she added, while calling for greater financial support to allow documentary filmmakers to make films about Burma.
The “Honoring Pe Maung Same Stories of Our Memories” film screening and event on Sept. 19 brought together members of Burma’s film and creative communities across Thailand to highlight the importance of preserving personal memories, cultural traditions, and historical experiences through viewing documentary films about Burma.
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News by Region
KARENNI—Five members of the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) were killed during an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or drone, attack carried out by regime forces near Moso village in Hpruso Township on Thursday. Hpruso is located 21 miles (33 km) south of the state capital Loikaw.
Karenni residents were warned about the threat of incoming air or drone attacks on Sept. 16. Regime forces have been conducting reconnaissance operations over towns seized by Karenni resistance forces in southern Shan and Karenni since early September. Read the full article on our website
NAYPYIDAW—Sources close to the police in Naypyidaw told DVB that seven people were arrested and charged in Pyinmana Township under the Myanmar Petroleum and Petroleum Products Law from Sept. 12-15. Five of the seven were arrested in Pyinmana on Saturday with the other two detained on Tuesday.
A source close to the Pyinmana police told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the seven were arrested after the police received information from the regime’s Petroleum Products Regulatory Department about the illegal sale and storage of fuel. Read the full article on our website
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